Six nights covering the temple towns of the Kathmandu valley, three nights by the lake at Pokhara under the Annapurnas, and a ridge-top morning at Nagarkot
Nepal packs a lot into a short distance. This trip gives you the two halves most people come for: the Kathmandu valley, where the old royal cities and the great Hindu and Buddhist shrines sit within an hour of each other, and Pokhara, where the Annapurna range rises straight out of a lakeside town. Three nights in Pokhara mean there is room for a free day, so the paragliding flight off Sarangkot or a slow morning on Phewa Lake does not have to be rushed.
On the way back you stop at Bhaktapur, the best preserved of the three durbar squares, and spend the last night at Nagarkot on the valley rim for the sunrise over the Himalaya. Airport transfers, a private air-conditioned vehicle and a local guide at the monument sites are arranged. A mountain flight over Everest and a Chitwan jungle safari are both easy to add if you want longer.
The essentials
Trip information
Package code
EH07NP001
Pickup
Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu
Drop
Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu
Night count
06 Nights, 07 Days
Travellers
6 pax
Vehicle
Toyota Hiace (AC)
At a glance
Itinerary highlights
Day 1Arrive in Kathmandu and walk out to Boudhanath
Day 2The temples and durbar squares of the valley
Day 3West to Pokhara along the Trishuli
Day 4Sarangkot at dawn, then the falls and the pagoda
Day 5A free day in Pokhara
Day 6Back east to Bhaktapur, and up to Nagarkot
Day 7Sunrise from the ridge, then fly home
Your route, day by day
Day-by-day itinerary
Kathmandu
A crowded, layered old city in a bowl of hills, where medieval temple squares sit a street away from modern traffic.
Day 1
Arrive in Kathmandu and walk out to Boudhanath
You are met at Tribhuvan and driven the short distance into town — short in kilometres, longer in traffic. After check-in there is time to rest, then a late-afternoon run out to Boudhanath, which is at its best around dusk when the butter lamps are lit and the circuit fills up. Dinner is on your own, usually back in Thamel.
Starts from Tribhuvan International Airport, ends at Hotel Thamel Courtyard, covering around 6 km in an estimated 40m.
Sightseeing
Boudhanath StupaOpen 7 AM – 7 PMAllow 90 min
One of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhist life in Nepal, ringed by monasteries and a circle of shops and cafés. The painted eyes on the tower face all four directions. It was damaged in the 2015 earthquake and rebuilt within two years.
Walk a clockwise circuit with the pilgrims
Turn the prayer wheels around the base
Watch the lamps being lit from a rooftop café
Kathmandu valley
Three former kingdoms sharing one valley, each with its own palace square, plus the two great shrines on either side of the city.
Day 2
The temples and durbar squares of the valley
A long day with a guide. You begin at Pashupatinath on the Bagmati, then climb to Swayambhunath for the view back over the whole valley, and spend the afternoon in the two old palace squares at Kathmandu and Patan. If an Everest mountain flight is on your list, it leaves at first light and slots in before this day starts — tell us in advance and we will book it.
Based at Hotel Thamel Courtyard, covering around 40 km in an estimated 8h 00m.
Sightseeing
Pashupatinath TempleOpen 4 AM – 9 PMAllow 90 min
Nepal's most important Hindu temple, a pagoda complex on the Bagmati dedicated to Shiva and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The inner sanctum admits Hindus only, but the terraces on the opposite bank are open to all and look across at the cremation ghats and the resident sadhus.
Walk the terraces on the east bank
See the ghats along the Bagmati
Visit the row of small Shiva shrines above the river
Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple)Open 5 AM – 9 PMAllow 75 min
A hilltop stupa west of the city, reached either by road or by a stone stairway of around 365 steps. Troops of macaques live in the surrounding trees, which is where the nickname comes from. The platform gives the clearest overview of Kathmandu you will get on foot.
Climb the stone stairway
Circle the stupa clockwise
Look out over the whole valley from the platform
Kathmandu Durbar SquareOpen 9 AM – 6 PMAllow 75 min
The old royal square in the heart of the city, a dense cluster of pagoda temples and palace buildings around the Hanuman Dhoka. The Kumari Ghar here is home to the living goddess, who occasionally appears at an upper window.
See the Hanuman Dhoka palace gate
Look for the Kumari at her window
Walk through to the Kasthamandap area
Patan Durbar SquareOpen 7 AM – 7 PMAllow 90 min
The finest of the three squares for Newar craftsmanship, across the river in Lalitpur. Stone and metalwork here are unusually good, and the Patan Museum inside the old palace is the best-presented museum in the country.
Visit the Patan Museum
See the Krishna Mandir in carved stone
Watch metalworkers in the lanes behind the square
Pokhara
A lakeside town at only 800 m with the Annapurna range and the sharp cone of Machhapuchhre standing right behind it.
Day 3
West to Pokhara along the Trishuli
A long but scenic road day, following the Trishuli river west through terraced hills with tea stops along the way. The drive takes most of the day; a 25-minute flight from Kathmandu is an alternative if you would rather not sit in the vehicle, and we can swap it in. You reach Pokhara in the afternoon and go straight out on the lake, which is the best way to see the range if the sky has cleared.
Starts from Hotel Thamel Courtyard, ends at Phewa Lakefront Resort, covering around 205 km in an estimated 6h 30m.
Sightseeing
Phewa Lake and Tal Barahi TempleBoats from 6 AM to 6 PMAllow 90 min
The lake Pokhara is built around, with a small two-tiered temple on an island near the eastern shore. On a still morning or evening the Annapurnas and Machhapuchhre are reflected in the water. Boats are rowed or paddled from the Baidam jetty.
Row out to the Tal Barahi island temple
Look for the mountain reflection on still water
Walk the lakeside strip afterwards
Day 4
Sarangkot at dawn, then the falls and the pagoda
You leave in the dark for Sarangkot, on the ridge north-west of town, to watch the light hit the Annapurnas. Back for breakfast, then the southern side of the lake — Davis Falls and the cave opposite it, and up to the World Peace Pagoda on the ridge above the far shore. Paragliders launch off Sarangkot through the morning; if you want to fly, this is the day, and we will book it locally.
Based at Phewa Lakefront Resort, covering around 45 km in an estimated 8h 00m.
Sightseeing
Sarangkot Sunrise ViewpointFrom about 5 AMAllow 2 hours
A ridge at around 1,600 m, roughly forty minutes above Pokhara by road, with a viewing tower facing the Annapurna range. Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre and Manaslu are all visible from the same platform on a clear morning. It is also the main paragliding launch site in Nepal.
Watch the sunrise over the Annapurnas
Pick out Machhapuchhre and Dhaulagiri
Book a tandem paragliding flight down to the lake
Davis Falls and Gupteshwor CaveOpen 6 AM – 6 PMAllow 90 min
A waterfall on the Pardi Khola that drops into a sinkhole and disappears underground, named after a Swiss visitor who was swept away there in the 1960s. Across the road, the Gupteshwor cave runs down to a Shiva shrine and a chamber where the same water can be seen and heard emerging.
See the water vanish into the sinkhole
Walk down into Gupteshwor cave
Visit the Shiva shrine inside
World Peace PagodaOpen 5 AM – 7 PMAllow 90 min
A white stupa on the ridge above the southern shore of Phewa Lake, one of a series built by Japanese Buddhists. You can drive most of the way or take a boat across and walk up through the forest. The terrace looks over the lake, the town and the range in one sweep.
Walk up from the lake through the forest
Take in the lake and mountain view together
See the four gilded Buddha figures
Day 5
A free day in Pokhara
Nothing is scheduled today. Most people take it slowly by the lake, but this is the natural slot for anything you did not fit in yesterday — a second run at Sarangkot if the first morning was cloudy, a paragliding flight, the caves and museums in town, or a half-day out to the quieter Begnas Lake. Tell us in advance and we will arrange the vehicle and any bookings.
Based at Phewa Lakefront Resort.
Sightseeing
International Mountain Museum (optional)Open 9 AM – 5 PMAllow 120 min
A large museum on the southern edge of town covering the history of Himalayan climbing, the geology of the range and the cultures of the mountain peoples, with a climbing wall and a model of Manaslu outside.
See the Everest expedition gallery
Look at the equipment from early ascents
Walk the outdoor climbing wall area
Begnas Lake (optional)Open all dayAllow Half day
A quieter lake about half an hour east of Pokhara, surrounded by terraced farmland and fish farms with almost none of the lakeside development of Phewa.
Hire a rowing boat
Walk the ridge between Begnas and Rupa lakes
Eat fresh fish at a lakeside kitchen
Nagarkot
A ridge village on the eastern rim of the Kathmandu valley, kept on the map by its view of the Himalaya at dawn.
Day 6
Back east to Bhaktapur, and up to Nagarkot
An early departure for the drive back east. You skirt Kathmandu and stop at Bhaktapur in the afternoon, then climb the last stretch of road up to Nagarkot in time for the sunset. Dinner is at the resort. If you would rather cut the road time, we can put you on the Pokhara–Kathmandu flight and drive up from the airport instead.
Starts from Phewa Lakefront Resort, ends at Nagarkot Himalayan View Resort, covering around 235 km in an estimated 7h 30m.
Sightseeing
Bhaktapur Durbar SquareOpen 7 AM – 7 PMAllow 2 hours
The best preserved of the valley's three old cities, largely closed to traffic, with brick lanes running between the durbar square, Taumadhi and the potters' square. The five-storey Nyatapola temple is the tallest in Nepal, and the town is known for its wood carving and for juju dhau, a thick sweet curd.
Climb the steps of the Nyatapola temple
See the Peacock Window and the 55-Window Palace
Watch pots being thrown in Potters' Square
Try juju dhau from a local shop
Nagarkot sunset viewpointBest from 5 PMAllow 60 min
A ridge at around 2,100 m with an open northern horizon. On a clear evening the light comes off the Langtang and Ganesh Himal ranges, and in very clear conditions Everest itself can be picked out far to the east.
Watch the light change on the range
Walk the short ridge path from the resort
Identify the peaks with the resort's panorama board
Day 7
Sunrise from the ridge, then fly home
You are woken early for the sunrise — the terrace faces north and there is no need to go anywhere. Whether the mountains appear is entirely down to the sky, and we cannot promise it. Breakfast follows, then check out and the drive down through the terraced hills to Tribhuvan for the flight home. If your flight is late in the day we can usually hold the room a little longer or add a stop in the city on the way — just ask.
Starts from Nagarkot Himalayan View Resort, ends at Tribhuvan International Airport, covering around 35 km in an estimated 1h 30m.
Airport pick-up and drop
× 2
Kathmandu valley full-day sightseeing
Kathmandu to Pokhara road transfer
Pokhara full-day sightseeing with Sarangkot sunrise run
Pokhara to Nagarkot via Bhaktapur
The fine print, clearly
What’s included
Inclusions
Six nights of accommodation in the selected hotel category.
Daily breakfast at the hotels and dinner at Nagarkot.
All transfers and sightseeing by private air-conditioned vehicle.
An English-speaking local guide on the Kathmandu valley and Pokhara sightseeing days.
Boat ride on Phewa Lake to the Tal Barahi temple island.
Monument and heritage-zone entry fees listed in the itinerary.
24×7 destination support for the whole trip.
Exclusions
Airfare or bus fare to and from Kathmandu.
The Everest mountain flight, and the Kathmandu–Pokhara flight if you upgrade from the road transfer.
Paragliding, zip-lining, ultralight flights and the cable car to Sarangkot.
Any Chitwan National Park extension, including safari permits.
Lunch and dinner except where stated, and all drinks.
Personal expenses such as laundry, tips, phone and shopping.
Travel insurance, and taxes charged extra on the final bill as applicable.
Good to know
Policies
Payment policy
50% of the package cost is needed at the time of booking to confirm it.
The remaining 50% must be cleared at least 20 days before the trip starts.
Peak season (October, November and the Dashain and Tihar festival weeks) needs full payment at booking.
The booking is confirmed only once the advance payment reaches us.
Payment by bank transfer or UPI.
Cancellation policy
0–10 days before check-in: 100% of the booking amount is charged.
11–20 days before check-in: 70% of the booking amount is charged.
21–30 days before check-in: 30% of the booking amount is charged.
A minimum cancellation charge of 10% applies in all cases.
No refund for unused nights or an early check-out.
Peak season (1 October – 15 November): no refund on cancellation.
Important information
Indian nationals do not need a visa for Nepal, but must carry photo identification — a passport, voter ID card or an Aadhaar-backed identity certificate; a driving licence and PAN card are not accepted at the border or the airport.
The Everest mountain flight is an optional extra and runs only in clear weather; it is often cancelled or rescheduled in the monsoon months, and the fee is charged as applicable.
The Sarangkot and Nagarkot sunrises depend entirely on the sky. Between June and September the Himalaya are frequently hidden, and no refund applies for a clouded-out morning.
Paragliding at Sarangkot is weight- and weather-restricted and is booked locally on the day; it is not part of the package.
Pashupatinath's inner temple is open to Hindus only; everyone can walk the outer complex and the ghats on the far bank of the Bagmati.
Indian currency notes in denominations above 100 are not legally accepted in Nepal — carry smaller notes or use a card.
Hotels and the day order may shift slightly with road or weather conditions; we tell you in advance if so.
Easy Holiday
